2013 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game #2 @ Hollywood – Felix Hernandez (22-8 2.39) vs. Clayton Kershaw (20-4 2.31)
Chicago got out to a quick 1-0 lead on an Andrew McCutchen Sacrifice Fly scoring Dexter Fowler who led off the game with a double, followed by a Kershaw Wild Pitch. Hollywood tied the scoring in the bottom of the 4th after Jayson Werth Doubled, a routine ground ball to Mobster Derek Jeter who threw wildly to first allowing Werth to come around and tie the score at one each. The next six innings went scoreless, until they reached the top of the 11th. An Andrew McCutchen leadoff Double put a man in scoring position for the Mobsters. With one out Paul Konerko (Who was acquired at the trade deadline by the Mobsters) Doubled down the line in left – scoring McCutchen. Hollywood failed to score in the bottom of the 11th off Chicago closer Aroldis Chapman (Save #2). Kershaw went 9 innings allowing only 1 Earned Run, striking out 4 along the way. Felix Hernandez was sensational for the Mobsters going 9.1 innings, allowing only 1 run (Un-Earned) striking gout 8 Werewolves.
Final Score: Chicago 2 – Hollywood 1 (11 Innings)
WP: Jeremy Blevins (1-0)
LP: Steve Cishek (0-1)
Save: Aroldis Chapman (2)
HR: None
Game #3 @ Chicago – Jered Weaver (16-11 2.94) vs. C.C. Sabathia (25-5 2.71)
In the lowest scoring affair of the series Jered Weaver was masterful. Weaver went 8.1 innings allowing 0 Runs, while striking out 5, with 2 walks. C.C. Sabathia matched Weaver most of the way allowing only a single run in the 6th inning on a Ian Kinsler Home Run in the 6th inning. With the score 1-0 Hollywood, Chicago Reliever Brad Lincoln gave up a 9th inning solo shot to Alex Gordon making it 2-0 Hollywood. With one out in the 9th after a Chipper Jones Double and Andrew McCutchen single put runners at first & third – the Hollywood manager went to his right-hander in the pen Luke Gregerson. McCutchen promptly stole second base. Gregerson then walked the winning run Paul Konerko to load the bases. So with the sacks full – 2 outs, Chicago down by two – Alex Avila was called upon to pinch hit. After working the count full on a very close 2-2 pitch that the umpire might have missed, the count went full. The next pitch was rapped back to the mound, Gregerson speared it, throws to first and the Werewolves take game #3 on the road.
Final Score: Hollywood 2 – Chicago 0
WP: Jered Weaver (1-0)
LP: C.C. Sabathia (0-1)
Save: Luke Gregerson (1)
HR: Ian Kinsler (1), Alex Gordon (1)
Game #4 @ Chicago – Kris Medlen (16-2 1.53) vs. Chris Sale (21-7 2.73)
A lead-off Triple by Dexter Fowler, followed by a Derek Jeter Single would give the Mobsters a 1-0 lead two batters into the game for Chicago. But the Werewolves would score two runs in the top of the second and two more in the top of the third. In the second with the bases full, Starlin Castro bounced into a force at third – scoring Chris Denorifa. Jayson Werth singles to left center scoring Alex Rodriguez. In the third with two out Jay Bruce scored Denorfia on a Double to right making the score 3-1 Hollywood. With Bruce on second, Alex Rodriguez hits a high fly ball in shallow center. Neil Walker and Jeter both go for the ball and Jeter crashes into Walker – the ball drops and Jay Bruce races around to score as Jeter & Walker are down. Walker gets up & walks it off, but Jeter is helped off the field with a twisted ankle – that could lead to a serious injury. Jeter is hurt for one day, but says in the press conference after the game “I’m going to play the rest of the year in pain, but in the off season I am going to need surgery and may miss some time in 2014”. Chicago gets a solo run in the 4th with a runner at first a shot down the line at third-base is snared by Alex Rodriguez, but he throws wildly to first and the ball rolls down the line in right, Andrelton Simmons comes around to score all the way from first-base. Score now 4-2 Hollywood. Hollywood gets a single run on a force out in the top of the 9th, so the score stands at 5-2 heading into the last half of the 9th. Dexter Fowler leads off the 9th with a Double (5th hit of the series for Fowler) off Kris Medlen. Steve Cishek comes on strikes out pinch hitter Alex Avila for the 1st out of the inning. After a Starlin Castro error (putting runners now on 1st & 3rd) with one out – Andrew McCutchen bops one into right field – Fowler scores easily and Chipper Jones pulls into second base. Score now 5-3 Hollywood on top. Hollywood manager Steve Cutler pulls Cishek and goes to veteran Luke Gregerson. Tony Campana is called on to pinch run for Chipper Jones at second. Buster Posey singles into left, Campana heads home, McCutchen stops at second. Score now 5-4 Hollywood with one out & the tying run (Andrew McCutchen) at second base & the winning run Sean Rodriguez who came into pinch run for Posey on at first, in the bottom of the 9th. Big Paul Konerko stands in facing Gregerson (With Chicago fans screaming in hopes of a walk off or game tying hit). Gregerson throws a 2-2 slider that Konerko pounds into the ground and right at Hollywood second baseman Alexi Amarista who flips to Castro at second, and on to Paul Goldschmidt for a game ending double play. Chicago fans realize that the game is designed to break your heart and Chicago falls in game #4 – 5 to 4.
Final Score: Hollywood 5 – Chicago 4
WP: Kris Medlen (1-0)
LP: Chris Sale (0-1)
Save: Luke Gregerson (2)
HR: None
Game #5 @ Chicago – David Price (22-4 2.23) vs. Felix Hernandez (22-8 2.39)
10 hits and 22 Total bases, including 3 Home Runs for Hollywood (Werth, Kinsler & Bruce) was more than enough as the Werewolves put the game out of hand early. David Price was spectacular going 7.2 innings and turning it over to the Hollywood bullpen (Parnel, Lopez & Ramos) that shut the Mobsters down the rest of the way. Felix Hernandez was a little off (Maybe because he went 9.1 innings in his last start). Chicago loses in the only blow-out type game of the series.
Final Score: Hollywood 6 – Chicago 0
WP: David Price (1-1)
LP: Felix Hernandez (0-1)
HR: Bruce (2), Kinsler (2), Werth (1)
Game #6 @ Hollywood – C.C. Sabathia (25-5 2.71) vs. Clayton Kershaw (20-4 2.31)
In what truly will go down as one of the most Epic Games in Mid-West Baseball League History (let alone Post-Season) the game was managed so well that each of the owners complimented each other on what a great job they did as managers. In the bottom of the 4th Hollywood jumps out to a 1-0 lead after having runners at 1st and 3rd with 1 out Paul Goldschmidt singles scoring Ian Kinsler from 3rd. Holding a 1-0 lead with one out, no one on and Clayton Kershaw on the mound the Werewolves were two outs away from a trip to the World Series. Derek Jeter playing on a bad ankle doubled to right. Chipper Jones in what could be the last game of his career then mashes a two bagger to left center – scoring Jeter and putting the winning run at second base. Mobster manager Stray Corrado then pinch runs for Chipper Jones – who received a standing ovation from the Hollywood Crowd (This isn’t Billy Wagner were talking about its Chipper Jones) as Tony Campana settles in at second base. On the first pitch from Kershaw – Campana breaks hard for 3rd base and Werewolves catcher Ryan Hanigan throws high to 3rd allowing the winning run to reach their safely. For Campana that was his 3rd steal of the series. Campana steal of third – upset Kershaw as he walks Andrew McCutchen on a ball that almost hit him. Hollywood Manager Steve Cutler decides to stick with Kershaw to face the right handed hitter Buster Posey with speedy runners at 1st and 3rd. Posey lines one into right field, Jay Bruce plays it on the hop, Campana scores and McCutchen heads for 3rd and slides in safely. Mobsters Lead! Luke Gregerson comes on for Hollywood to face Paul Konerko. Chicago manager trying to be tricky signals into Konerko & McCutchen for the Squeeze bunt as Alex Rodriguez is playing back for the double play. Konerko who probably has never bunted in Mid-West Baseball League history gets a great bunt down in front of home, but Ryan Hanigan bounds out and fires to second base for one, and then on to first to double up the slow and aging Paul Konerko. So we head to the bottom of the 9th with Chicago holding a 2-1 lead in the game, and hoping to get to game seven – needing only 3 outs to go with star closer Aroldis Chapman taking the bump for the Mobsters. Chapman gets Paul Goldschmidt & Chris Denorifa to Strike-out for 2 outs in the 9th, but a Jay Bruce single puts the tying run on 1st base. Bruce moves to second on a Chapman Wild Pitch (Who’d a thunk it?). With first base open Chicago Manager Stray Corrado directs Chapman to walk Rodriguez intentionally setting up a force at 1st or 2nd. Chapman has other ideas and decides to just hit Rodriguez intentionally with a 102 MPH Fastball right above the knee. Rodriguez can’t help but rub that one as he walks to first base and yells in Chapman direction. After testing out his knee Rodriguez can’t go and Manager Cutler doesn’t want to have some piano carrying runner out there, decides to pinch run for Rodriguez and sends in Emilo Bonifacio. A beautifully executed Hit-&-Run by Ryan Hanigan scores Bruce and sends Bonificio to third base. Now Hollywood is 90 feet shy with the winning run and the crowd is going crazy here in Hollywood. Werewolves’ shortstop Starlin Castro steps in and drives one deep to right, way back, it might be… it could be… but it isn’t as it falls just short of the track and into the glove of right fielder Dexter Fowler. So after 9 complete innings the game is tied at 2 apiece. So for Hollywood it went like this after the 9th, Gregerson 1.2, Cishek 1.1, Lopez .2, Ramos 4.1 & Parnell 1.2. Yes that’s right it went to the 18th inning. For Chicago it went. Rosenthal .2, Wainwright 4.2, Blevins 1.0, Boggs 1.2& Atchison 1.0. Top of the 18th score still knotted at 2 each. Neil Walker doubles to lead it off, two outs later Dexter Fowler pastes on over Castro’s head & on into left – Walker races around 3rd, and scores standing, Fowler moved to 2nd on the throw home. Bobby Parnell gets Andrelton Simmons to fly out to right center for the 3rd out of the inning. Chicago up 3-2 bottom of the 18th inning, Chicago is 3 outs away from taking the Werewolves to a game seven. Scott Atchison heads to the hill for the Mobsters looking for those 3 elusive outs. Jayson Werth, Irving Falu & Alex Gordon go down 1-2-3 and the Mobsters have tied the series at 3 games apiece. The American League Championship Series is headed to game seven.
Final Score: Chicago 3 – Hollywood 2 (18 Innings)
WP: Mitchel Boggs (1-0)
LP: Felix Hernandez (0-1)
Save: Scott Atchison (1)
HR: None
Game #7 @ Hollywood – Chris Sale (21-7 2.73) vs. Jered Weaver (16-11 2.94)
Chicago got started early on a Fowler base on balls, followed by a Jeter Single & stolen base – Chipper Jones (In what again could be his final MWBL Game) mashes one to the gap in left center, Both Fowler & Jeter score making it 2-0 Chicago three batters into the game. Chris Sale got the Werewolves 1-2-3 in 
the first & looked strong. After a leadoff single to Paul Konerko & a walk to Yonder Alonso – Hollywood Manager Steve Cutler comes and gets Weaver. He replaces him with Kris Medlen who won game four of the series. Medlen and Sale blank each other for the next five innings. Score still 2-0 in the top of the 7th when Paul Konerko launches a solo Home Run deep to left, making it 3-0 Chicago after six & a half innings of play. Sale shuts down Hollywood 1-2-3 in the 7th & 8th innings and after a leadoff single by Alex Gordon – Chicago manager Stray Corrado leaves Sale in to face Paul Goldschmidt. A pop up to 3rd third baseman Mike Moustakas & a long fly ball to Center that Andrew McCutchen pulls in Chicago is one out away from their third World Series appearance. But Corrado doesn’t like that hard hit ball off Sale, so with one out to go he pats Sale on the backside and calls on the Cuban Missile – Aroldis Chapman. Looking for that one out and the might Jay Bruce at the plate Chapman delivers & connects with the Chapman slider – but pounds it into the ground – right at Neil Walker who shuffles over to Andrelton Simmons for the force at second. The Mobsters rush the field, dog pile on Chapman and celebrate on the home field of the Hollywood Werewolves. Hollywood players stand at the edge of the dugout & watch the Mobsters celebrate. After a minute or two of hugs & high fives the Mobsters all line up along the 3rd base line as the Werewolves look on not sure what’s going on. Then in a gesture of sportsmanship every one of the Mobsters tips their caps towards the Hollywood players & dugout. Thus ends one of the most Epic Battles in Mid-West Baseball League History. No home team won a single game during the series. For Hollywood their dream season comes to an end & they head to their war room now in preparation of the 2014 MWBL Draft. Chicago will try & rest some as the head to the west coast for the 2013 Mid-West Baseball League World Series.
Final Score: Chicago 3 – Hollywood 0
WP: Chris Sale (1-1)
LP: Jeff Weaver (1-1)
Save: Aroldis Chapman (3)
HR: Konerko (1)
Pages: 1 2